Simphiwe Dana sparks debate on appreciation vs appropriation in African hair culture
Written by admin on July 29, 2025
A lot of things may not be certain, but one thing is that African women have been celebrating their crowns and plaiting them in different ways.
African women’s hairstyles have become a point of discussion after multi-award-winning singer-songwriter, Simphiwe Dana created a public discourse.
Dana posted on social media her disappointment over not being acknowledged as inspiration behind the hairstyles on actress Nomzamo Mbatha and “Shaka iLembe”. She later deleted the posts from her Instagram and X account.
“Honey, there’s a difference between appreciation and appropriation. You’re not the only one. I’m fed up. It’s deeply disconcerting and cringe,” Dana wrote, with a picture of Mbatha from her Creme of Nature, ambassador reveal.
Since ancient times, hair has always been something worth celebrating and Dana has become well known for her afrocentric hairstyles that are inspired by what Africans have been doing.
Hairstyles held profound significance in ancient African societies, serving as powerful symbols of an individual’s status, economic standing, marital status, and social role. Beyond their aesthetic function, they also played a crucial role in spiritual divination.
The late Miriam Makeba was inspired by the hairstyles of the Fulani women of West Africa after she and her husband Stokely Carmichael quit the US and moved to Guinea in the 1970s.
